Hence, the early start on this is meant to ensure that this is done by Monday. And since I'm going to spend most of Sunday watching or in preparation for watching the New England Patriots win the Super Bowl... :)
Those visiting the Arizona Capitol this week may want to think about wearing body armor - the
As usual, all agendas are subject to change without notice.
On the House side of the Capitol -
...Monday at 1 p.m., Rules will meet in HHR4. Long agenda. It may take them all of five minutes to approve it. Preview of coming floor calendars.
...Monday at 2 p.m., Ways and Means will meet in HHR1. Lots of mischief on this one. Many of the bills look to carve out tax breaks for special interests. One lowlight: a same subject striker to SB1047, increasing the allowable tax credits for contributions to
Note: when a Senate bill reaches a House committee this quickly, the measure is being fast tracked. In a big way.
...Monday at 2 p.m., Energy and Natural Resources will meet in HHR4. Short agenda, but one very bad bill - HB2640, allowing hunters to use ammunition magazines of unlimited size. 'Cuz you never know when you are going to miss that jackrabbit with the first 15 rounds.
...Monday at 2 p.m., Education will meet in HHR3. On the agenda: HB2505, "adjusting" high school academic curriculum standards by added financial literacy to mathematics classes, and free market economics and the history of capitalism to social studies classes (there is a proposed amendment to the bill striking the social studies clause, but don't expect this attempt at propagandizing school curriculums to go away).
...Monday at 2 p.m., Banking and Insurance will meet in HHR5. Mostly features bills relating to workmen's compensation and unemployment insurance. HB2519 is a measure intended to make life a little tougher for the unemployed.
...Tuesday at 2 p.m., Government will meet in HHR4. Included: a same subject striker to HB2168, mandating municipalities with more than 100K residents to implement a process for building permits that would allow builders/developers to "self-certify" their compliance with building codes.
...Wednesday at 9 a.m., Military Affairs and Public Safety will meet in HHR3. Up for consideration: HB2728, allowing the use of silencers while hunting. I'd make another "jackrabbits" wisecrack, but combined with the "limitless" magazines bill above, the cynic in me thinks that the intended prey for these hunters is a little browner and a lot taller than the average jackrabbit. And that isn't something to joke about.
...Wednesday at 9 a.m., Health and Human Services will meet in HHR4.
...Wednesday at 9 a.m., Commerce will meet in HHR5. On the agenda: a striker to HB2606 titled "liquor omnibus" (text not available as yet). "Omnibus" bills often have nuggets of nastiness, so keep an eye on this one.
...Wednesday at 10 a.m., Higher Education, Innovation, and Reform will meet in HHR1.
...Wednesday at 2 p.m., Appropriations will meet in HHR1. On the agenda: Budget presentations from the Department of Corrections and AHCCCS. Also, HB2736, requiring any state agencies, boards, or commissions that apply to the federal government for any grants or financial assistance greater than $500K to submit the application to the lege's Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC) for "review". I think this bill would set up JLBC, aka the lege, as a gatekeeper between executive branch organizations and federal funding.
...Thursday at 9 a.m., Transportation will meet in HHR3. On the agenda: HB2678, creating a "virtual" driver's license; HCM2004, a memorial (aka - letter to Congress) asking them to stop collecting the federal highway tax, which is dedicated to funding transportation projects, so that states can get their hands on the money directly; HB2358, authorizing the creation of public-private partnerships for the operation of highway toll facilities; and Rep. Steve Farley's HB2046, barring license plate covers or anything else that diminishes the readability of characters on a license plate (hey, I have to include at least one decent bill per week, right?).
...Thursday at 9 a.m., Technology and Infrastructure will meet in HHR1. On the agenda: HB2403, the annual attack on newspapers but removing one of their primary sources of revenue - the mandatory publication of legal notices; a striker to HB2417 that would allow government communications that are, by law, required to be in writing to be by email. I'm not sure, but this measure seems so broadly written that things like legal summonses, court orders, and other court documents are covered by it; HB2647, a Rio Nuevo bill (there are many provisions in this where I don't understand the impact, so I will leave the commentary on this one to the southern AZ experts at Blog for Arizona).
...Thursday at 9 a.m., Judiciary will meet in HHR4. Long agenda, many bad bills. Lowest of the lowlights: HCR2005, a proposed amendment to the AZ constitution to mandate that any voter-approved measures that mandate any kind of spending or revenues must be reauthorized every six fiscal years. Guess the Rs don't like the voters interfering in the drive to destroy Arizona's social safety net.
...Thursday at 9 a.m., Agriculture and Water will meet in HHR5. On the agenda: HJR2002, surrendering Arizona's rights to a certain quantity of water from the Colorado River to some contractors.
...The House's Third Read (final approval) Calendar is here. Nothing that appears to be too controversial.
On the Senate side of the Capitol -
...Monday at 1 p.m., Rules will meet in Senate Caucus Room 1. As with the agenda before the Rules committee in the House, the agenda is long and best serves as a preview of floor calendars for the rest of the week and early next week.
...Monday at 2 p.m. or upon adjournment of the floor session, Natural Resources and Transportation will meet in SHR109.
...Monday at 2 p.m. or upon adjournment of the floor session, Judiciary will meet in SHR1. The nastiest agenda of the week. Up for consideration: SB1304, removing the ability of counties and municipalities to pass laws restricting or barring the discharge of firearms within a quarter mile of an occupied structure (you know, like a house); SB1448, making is OK to pack heat in a public building if access to that building is not restricted by a cop or security guard; SB1474, the annual "guns in schools" bill; SB1479, a bill with too many provisions to summarize quickly here, but it's another in the pro-gun/anti-society group of gun bills this year; and SCR1021, a proposed amendment to the AZ constitution to end Clean Elections.
...Monday at 2 p.m., or upon adjournment of the floor session, Education will meet in SHR3. Lowlight: SB1443, creating state mandated standards for teacher performance pay (heavily weighted toward scores on statewide tests).
...Tuesday at 9 a.m., Veterans, Military, and Government Affairs will meet in SHR3. Looks quiet so far.
...Tuesday at 2 p.m., Banking and Insurance will meet in SHR3. On the agenda: at least a couple of bills that Sen. Nancy Barto is shilling for the health insurance industry.
...Tuesday at 2 p.m., Appropriations will meet in SHR109. Looks fairly quiet right now, but that will change as budget time looms.
...Wednesday at 9 a.m., Government Reform will meet in SHR1.
...Wednesday at 9 a.m., Public Safety and Human Services will meet in SHR3. On the agenda: SB1364, further easing regulations of fireworks in Arizona and barring municipalities and counties from crafting stronger regulations; SB1365, allowing licensed professionals to engage in unprofessional behavior without repercussion if they cite religious beliefs as justification for those actions; would also allow people and businesses to breach contracts if they cite religious beliefs; includes a clause that would bar public bodies, including the state's courts and judicial branch boards and commissions, from refusing to nominate or appoint someone to a position because of his/her religious beliefs. Directly aimed at the Arizona Commission of Appellate Court Appointments. In late 2010, when the Commission was screening applicants for the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission, one of the members of the judicial commission expressed reservations about an applicant because of the applicant's belief that church and state shouldn't be separate.
...Wednesday at 9 a.m., Commerce and Energy will meet in SHR109. On the agenda: SB1510, messing with the state lottery.
...Wednesday at 2 p.m., Water, Land Use, and Rural Development will meet in SHR3. Best summary for this agenda: Why don't they just name this committee the "Senate Anti-Enviroment Committee"?
...Wednesday at 2 p.m., Healthcare and Medical Liability Reform will meet in SHR3. Lots of Nancy Barto-pushed bills for the health insurance industry.
...Wednesday at 2 p.m., Economic Development and Jobs Creation will meet in SHR109. One bill on the agenda thus far: SB1301, creating a tax credit for "community development entities" certified by Jan Brewer's Commerce Authority.
...Thursday at 9 a.m., Finance will meet in SHR1. Analogous to the Ways and Means Committee in the House, and like that committee, focused on carving out exemptions for special interests.
...Thursday at 9 a.m., Border Security, Federalism, and States Security will meet in SHR109. The agenda is short on items, but as is the pattern for this committee, long on lunacy. On the agenda: SB1332, which directs the federal government to surrender all federal lands in the state to Arizona by the end of 2014 or those lands will be subject to state taxes (ummm, yeaaahhhh. Good luck with that one.); SB1358, creating a legislative committee to "neutralize" any federal laws that it doesn't like (ditto).
...The lege's events calendar for the week is here; the Arizona Capitol Times' Capitol Calendar is here.
1 comment:
Yep, as I commented on my own blog, the Republicans are trying to do as much damage to our state as possible before the November elections. My guess is, due to the new legislative maps they don't think their chances are that great on keeping their super-majority in both chambers and may even lose the House. Too bad they need to do so much irrevocable damage to Arizona.
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